Device for lifting and towing automobiles



@(3, 2, N. EKBERG DEVICE FOR LIFTING AND TOWING AUTOMOBILES Filed March 3l, 3.924 2 Sheets-Shee 2 INVENToR:

. 52 cam levers 22, which are pivoted at 23 in Patented Dec. 2, i924.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELS EKBERG, F ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

`DEVICE FOR IJIFTING-AND TOWING AUTOMOBILES.

Application lled March. 31, 1924. Serial No. 703,034.

My invention relates to wrecking carsV for automobilesrand the object is to provide an easily operated and eiiieient device of said kind.`

In the accompanying drawings;

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of my device as used on the rear portion of va Wrecking car and showing how its working parts are engaged with the front axle of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 with the derrick of thel wrecking car and other parts v added.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a portion of one of the axle engaging devices of the derrick showing how the same may be applied also to a round axle, or the tubular rear axle 'of an automobile.

Fig. 5 is a modification of the parts 28--29 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, 7 designates the supporting wheels and 8 the axle of the rear end portion 9 of the body of a wrecking car.

Upon said body or platform 9 is erected a swinging derrick comprising a mast 10 held upright by braces 11 and having a boom 12 adjustably connected to the mast by a block-and-fall 13 having its running rope 14 arranged for hoisting and for securing it as may be desired.

Suspended from the upper end of the boom 12 is another block-and-fall 15 having its running arm 16 adjustably secured to the mast bya cleat or like device 17 secured thereon.

Supported by the block is anormally transversely arranged yoke 18, preferably of triangular form and suspended by one of its corners and a hook 18 so as to present a horizontal, straight bottom edge near which are several apertures 19 in any of which may be engaged two hooks 20 of rods or elements 21 whose lower ends are pivotally secured to the upper ends of two clevises 24 each of which has in its lower terminals av bolt 25 or other means adapted to engage in either one of several notches 26 in the under side or edge vof either one of two lifting arms 27.

Said arms 2 7 arev offset as at 27a in Fig.

l4, to clear certain springsr (not shown) of the automobile,yand they have each one end plvoted at 28 to swing horizontally in a short arm section 29 which may be curved some as at 30 in Fig. 5. These sections 29 are pivoted to swing in vertical planes on the ends 31 of a short bar 31, which is swingable on a vertical pivot 32 in a forked draw-bar 33 which in the present case has a round shank 34 journaled and retained by a pin 35 or other means in a bracket 36 fixed to the body 9.

Upon each rear end of the arms 27 isA pivotally mounted at 37 a U-shaped fork 38 the top of which constitutes a cllp4 and is closed by a lid or arm 39 hinged at 40 and held closed by a spring catch 41 when so desired.

In Figs. 1 and 2 is shown how an`automobile axle 42 or other part of I-beam or similar shape may be engaged by the two clips 38, and the adjacent end of the car raised 0E of the ground as shownat 43 in Fig. 2 where the front wheels 44 of the automobile 45 are raised'from the ground.

In Fig. 4 is shown how the rear axle housing or tube 46 or other cylindrical part of an automobile may be held in one or more of the clips, 38.

In the operation or use of the device it is usually desirable to have the lifting tackle l15 as nearly as possible vertically over the front axle 42 of the damaged automobile but in many cases the structureof the car does not permit of this and in such cases the terminal points 25 can not be in the notches 26 further to the left' in Fig. 2 but must be moved toward the right, and in whichever notches the terminal 25 is placed it is held there against disengagement by jumping or sliding of the parts by the short end 22a-of the tilting cams 22 which have their longer arm attached each to the ele ment 21 andl is folded to horizontal position while the-*terminal 25 is being moved to the properlnotch 26.

With the damaged car thus partly suspended the 'wrecking c ar is driven to the repair shop without bemg twisted or damE aged in any manner. rIhe car is also saved from undue side strain by the arms 27, as they can be swung freely on the pivots 27-28, and from vertical strain by the joints 31, and from twisting strain by the journaled stem 34 in Fig. 2. When the car has reached its destination for repairs or other purposes it is lowered by and released from the derrick.

Where the structure or make of the damaged car permits or requires it, the space between the hooks 20 may be increased by moving them into the various holes 19, and if there is no chance to use both of the clevises 24 only one of them may be used and its hook 20 is then moved as near as possible to the middle of the row of holes 19.

What I claim is:

1. In a wrecking car for automobiles and mounted on a motor truck, a derrick having a boom and a vertically adjustable yoke suspended therefrom and extending in transverse direction of the boom two spaced lifting devices suspended from the lower edge of the yoke and having each pivoted to its lower end the longer arm of a cam lever, a clevis pivoted to the cam lever, two horizontally disposed arms extending each through one of said clevises and having their forward ends spaced and pivoted to swing in a horizontal plane from the rear end of thewrecking truck, and U-shaped clips mounted to swivel in a horizontal plane upon the rear end of each of said arms and adapted to receive and support some horizontally disposed part of the damaged car.

2. The structure specified in claim 1, in which said arms have their lower sides provided each with several notches adapted to engage the lower terminal of the clevis.

3. The structure specified in claim 1 in which said arms have their lower sides provided with several notches for the lower terminals of the clevises supporting them and said cam levers arranged to hold each bar in engagement with said terminal when the cam lever is in raised position.

4. The structure specified in claim 1, in which the U-shaped clips on the rear ends of the arms have each a hinged piece closing its top and a spring catch holding the hinged piece closed against accidental openmg. v

5. The structure specified in claim 1, in which the forward ends of the arms are pivoted to an element swingable on a vertical pivot and provided with two horizontal pivots one for each of said arms.

6. The structure specified in claim 1, in which the forward ends of the arms are pivoted to an element swingable on a vertical pivot and provided with two horizontal pivots one for each of said arms, and said arms being each composed of a short piece pivoted to the swingable element and a longer piece pivoted to the short piece to swing in a horizontal plane.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

NELS EKBERG. 

